In the ultimate demonstration of loyalty, Shane Doanelected to remain with the Phoenix Coyotes, signing a very nice four-year contract, that could end up taking him to the end of his career, to remain in the desert.

Doan has been the fact of the Coyotes organization since they moved to Phoenix over a decade ago, and will continue to serve as such until he retires. He spurned several franchises around the country to remain in Phoenix, despite incredible issues with ownership and uncertainty over whether or not the franchise would even remain in Phoenix.

No one would have blamed Shane Doan for leaving. He’s dealt with overwhelming mediocrity in his time with the Coyotes, not advancing past the first round of the postseason until this past year. That’s in addition to the non-stop questions about the ownership and whether or not there will even be a team in the desert this time next year.

It’s because of that reason that Doan could regret remaining with the Coyotes, rather than bolting for a different club.

Doan had an option to sign with a contender in a big market. Several teams had interest, with the Vancouver Canucksand the New York Rangersbeing among the more serious contenders for his services. Both presented opportunities for stability, being able to play on a large stage every night, and being serious contenders for the Stanley Cup.

Maybe Doan wasn’t interested in all of that. We know he put serious consideration into joining Vancouver because of their proximity to his family up in Canada. But perhaps Doan is just more interested in trying to find some validation for all of that work he’s done in Phoenix, presumably in the form of a Stanley Cup.

Despite the sweeping declaration by Don Maloney at the press conference for Doan, in which he said that the only way this is Doan’s last NHL deal is if he gets tired of winning Cups, this Coyotes team could be in for a regression next season, whenever next season begins.

When you add what could have been a fluke (mind you, “could have been”) to the questions over whether or not the Coyotes franchise will head to Seattle or Quebec or a ton of other locations, you really have to wonder if Shane Doan could end up regretting his decision to remain in Phoenix, despite how good that loyalty looks in the public eye.